About 150 haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters attempted to block a public bus from passing through Meron Junction on Saturday.
The weekly protest began several weeks ago in Safed and has since spread to Meron, with demonstrators seeking to prevent public buses from leaving the city before the end of Shabbat.
A group of about 70 Galilee residents affiliated with the Derech Hofshit (free road) movement gathered opposite the protesters and worked to prevent them from blocking traffic. Police forces also arrived at the junction.
Last month, dozens of haredi protesters blocked traffic on the main road near Safed's central bus station, disrupting the flow of vehicles and shouting "Shabbos" at drivers. Police operated at the scene to disperse the demonstration.
The roadblock came just hours after an unprecedented, though limited, response from members of the city's general public.
Earlier that morning, about 10 vehicle owners gathered at the market square and drove through the city in a convoy to protest the frequent road blockages.
Basimta cafe entrance glued shut, suspect seen on security camera
The protest in northern Israel follows an overnight incident in which a woman glued shut the entrance to Jerusalem's Basimta Cafe, delaying its opening by 40 minutes, N12 News reported earlier on Saturday.
Security camera footage released by N12 showed the woman, wearing a white dress and a face mask, applying the glue to the cafe's door before fleeing the scene.
Basimta Cafe has been targeted weekly by haredi protesters due to its operations on Shabbat.